A Tennessee congresswoman is introducing a bill that would allow the American people to donate money to help build President Donald Trump’s famed border wall.
Rep. Diane Black, a Tennessee Republican who is also running for governor of her state, promised to introduce H.R. 5876, legislation that would create a “border wall trust fund” to which average citizens could donate. The funds would be used for “whatever it takes to build the wall,” according to Fox News.
“While Democrats block commonsense border security and put illegal immigrants before our families, we are going to put America first. Real immigration reform cannot be achieved without a secure border — President Trump has been clear about this since day one,” Black said in a May 18 statement. “The most important job of the federal government is the safety and security of the American people, and if citizens in our country wish to contribute to this effort, they absolutely should be given the opportunity.”
In an interview with Fox, Rep. Black, a member of the House Budget Committee, said that her bill would allow any American to donate money to help fund the wall. “I support President Trump in building the wall. It’s going to take big funds to do that,” she said, noting that Congress seems unwilling to raise the money for the job.
Black said that the bill is patterned after the popular private enterprises such as GoFundMe where people can gather to support favored causes and help people who need assistance.
The rep. also said that an effort such as this to fund work for a public monument has precedent. Indeed, a private group launched in 1833 to raise the funds that eventually led to the building of the Washington Monument.
Black spokesperson Heather Douglass told Fox News, “We’re hoping to see [the bill] go through to the president’s desk.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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